At some point in our life, some of us may be asked to give a eulogy. Though it’s not strictly under public speaking or presentations, it’s still good to know how you can give a good one, especially if it’s for someone who touched your life in one way or another. Here are 7 summary tips you can do so you can give a moving eulogy that will be help remember the life of the deceased in a good way.

I’m the type of person who likes trying out something new. I’m sure a lot of you out there have this adventurous spirit too. However, when it comes to presentations, we should all take a backseat and stick to what we already know.

Here are some things that you should not do before your presentation:

1. Wear new clothes or footwear.
2. Take new herbal supplements.
3. Have some cosmetic procedures done.
4. Try out a new software.
5. Go to the beach amd get a tan.
6. Eat something you’ve never tried before.
7. Take new medication.

We all have some rituals we do to help prepare us for presentations so that we are calm, confident and boosting with the right amount of energy. If you’re a speaker and you’d like to try something new whatever it may be, make sure you do it way beyond the schedule of your speaking engagements.

Creating presentations always starts with making the content. But you have to take note that the content you create should be clear and logical. In order to do this, Ellen Finkelstein has posed some questions that you can ask yourself to help you make the best possible content for your presentation. Here they are:

What is your purpose?

What is the main concept you’re talking about?

What questions are you bringing up — and trying to answer?

What information or data are you using to get to your conclusion?

How did you reach your conclusion?

What assumptions or points of view did you use to come to your conclusion?

What are the implications of your conclusions?

Once these questions are answered, your presentation will surely become more relevant to your audience, making it more helpful and purpose-driven.

For more information, check out Ellen Finkelstein’s blog post about it here:

Whether you’re new at public speaking and presenting or not, here are four ways to help you practice your speech:

1. Practice in front of a Live Audience

How do you do this? Practice speaking in front of a live audience by joining a Toastmasters club for instance. Or you can gather your family and /or friends and deliver your speech, any speech, in front of them. Sometimes, this proves even a lot scarier than doing it in front of strangers. This way, you not only face your fear of speaking in front of your loved ones, but they also get to criticize the way you present which will help you improve on your speaking skill. Just try not to be too sensitive about it when they do give you pointers.

2. Practice with a Video Camera

When you record yourself, deliver your speech as if you’re doing the real thing. This is very advantageous because you can replay everything and study yourself from the way you talk, to how you move, etc. You can even show your video to an expert so he/she can give you some more pointers you can use.

3. Practice Using Audacity

Audacity is a great audio recording software used by many public speakers and presenters alike. Click here to download Audacity for free. By using Audacity to record your practice sessions, you can then review your performance and be able to focus on your vocal delivery. You can take note of points for improvement like pauses, vocal delivery, stresses, emphasis on words, etc.

4. Practice in front of the mirror.

This advice may be quite old but it still works for some people. Just try not to focus too much on the way you look and try to notice other things too about your audience-centered presentation.

If you happen to be a speaker occasionally or frequently addressing a foreign crowd, you might find these tips useful. These 7 tips below are originally by Leon Potgieter who wrote a post about it on Olivia Mitchell’s blog. All these tips are practical and easy-to-implement. By doing them you’ll find that inevitable cross-cultural misunderstandings will be minimized, if not totally prevented, and you, as a speaker, will become more appealing to a foreign crowd.

1. Understand cultural assumptions – yours and theirs

You don’t have to know all the details, just a knowledge of the overview would be fine. You can attend an International Business Etiquette course or you can do your research on the internet. ExecutivePlanet.com is a a helpful Wiki-style online encyclopedia providing culture tips for almost 50 countries.

2. Use humor wisely

Humor is good but you have to make sure your sense of humor is on the same wavelength as your foreign audience. Test it first to a small crowd of similar foreign background and see if they will find your joke or anecdotes funny.

3. Work with your interpreter

It would be best if you meet with your interpreter weeks before your big speech just so everything will also flow smoothly on her end when translating your speech especially for certain words and phrases that naturally don’t have exact translations to the native language of your audience.

4. Skip the gobbledygook, completely

Avoid using jargons like the plague! Always use the simplest words possible.

5. Speak to 12 year olds

Just like tip #4, the simpler the English words and phrases used, the better. If a twelve year old can’t understand it, then simplify it. Wikipedia’s Simple English Pages is an excellent tool that will help you look for ideas on writing for non-English speakers.

6. Watch out for language nuances

Know whether your audience is the type that favors direct approach or are they the type who likes things explained rather subtly than aggressively. Some cultures appreciate a no-nonsense type of conversation while others like it more if people are not so blunt with what they are trying to convey. Watch out for these nuances.

7. Use local terminology

Do this when you are sure that you got the pronunciation right. Practice with a local and ask for help if you are having a hard time pronouncing certain local terms. Also, make sure that the terms you use are meaningful to your audience. For instance, in countries where there is no such thing at 12th graders or 8th graders, don’t use those terms. And if you want to greet your audience in their local dialect, make sure you enunciate your words properly.